Canterbury History - Various Speakers

Join a selection of local historians as we explore some fascinating sides to our local history.

6 Jun - Between Land and Sea: Jetties of Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour - Jane Robertson
How many working jetties still exist around Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour? All around the harbour there are the visible remnants of abandoned, decaying jetties. Many more have long been swallowed by the sea. A few have been well maintained and are still in use.

They remind us of a time when the sea was a highway on which early European settlers depended. This talk draws on current investigations into the jetties of the harbour, past and present, and the people for whom they were a lifeline. Jane Robertson is a well-known local historian and author of the book “Head of the Harbour”.

13 Jun - Grubb Cottage: a Lyttelton Treasure - Michael Williams
Grubb Cottage was built by John Grubb in 1851, on the first section ever sold in Canterbury by the Canterbury Association, thus making it one of the oldest houses in Lyttelton, and certainly the most original. Join Grubb Cottage Trust Chair Michael Williams for this fascinating look at Grubb cottage, Lyttelton’s history and the work that has taken place to preserve it for future generations. Michael has lived in Lyttelton for 13 years, but accepts that to be a real local, you have to have been born there!

20 Jun - Christchurch Ghosts: Shaken but not Stirred – Dr Simon Pollard
Simon will talk about the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes on Christchurch’s historic cemeteries and how memorial art is a reflection of our biology and mortality. Dr Simon Pollard is an historian, award winning author and photographer as well as being a spider biologist and Adjunct Professor of Science Communications at Canterbury University.

27 Jun - The Early Years of the Socialist Movement in Christchurch - Martin Crick
New Zealand in the late 19th century was seen by many potential migrants as something of a social laboratory, and many brought socialist ideals with them. Christchurch before the 1st World War was regarded as a radical centre.

Martin will examine the development of the socialist movement in Christchurch, in particular the Socialist Church and the New Zealand Socialist Party, and important personalities in the movement. Local historian Martin Crick was formerly course leader in Arts Education at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds and Vice-Chair of the William Morris Society as well as author of ‘The History of the Social-Democratic Federation’ (1994).